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Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
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drewdrawshashtags
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
Yessesse please.
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LandofMinos, cast thou evil bum dragger to thy scrapyard
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
What a cute looking suppository...
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TR3-A
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
So this new Fiat can go 0 to 60 in about 7 seconds. Big deal. My high school friend's Fiat Abarth Zagatto 750 could go 0 to 60.
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Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet
02/17/09

@TR3-A: You're making that up. 55, maybe..
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POLAЯ ON PЯOBATION
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
Boy, I can't wait for Build Your Dreams to copy this design.

Only it'll have Chinese Checkers on the roof!
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DoctorNine's D9 Cat
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
There is something to be said for small.

I am grooving on the large amount of small here.
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scroggzilla raids again
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
I'll keep the checkerboard roof....it's tradition

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Ash Clutchem, Pokey Master
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
With no other frame of reference, I would look at this and assume some rabid Croatian nationalist had pimped his ride.
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Boosted Lego Wagon
02/17/09

@Ash78: Put a wicker-wrapped Chianti bottle on the roof, and I've got a hankering for spaghetti and meatballs.
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Boosted Lego Wagon
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
Coming Soon! Marcello Mastroianni in "Il Lavoro Inglese".

Thrill as a trio of Fiats races through London, up the sides of Big Ben and through the Undergroud! Cheer as the plucky Italians take on the evil Cockney criminals and steal the British leyland-bound Steak and Kidney Pie shipment out from under the noses of Scotland yard!
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Cognitive Friction
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
I'm 6'3" 200 lbs, and it looks like I would have to put this car on like a pair of boxer shorts to drive it...anyone in the Jalopniverse around my size who has actually driven one of these?
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Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
One spicy meatball, coming up!
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OldeEnglishD
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
Strange, but my dog keeps staring at this thing and drooling. Perhaps we should call it the Pavlov Edition...
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engineerd
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
Wow, the ePRS is getting a workout today!

Billy Mays here with the new Fiat 500 Abarth SS. SS stands for Schutzstaffel, and it is the perfect car for you performance-minded neo-Nazis.

You must act quickly! If you take advantage of this deal in the next 10 seconds...er, 12 months...you get power upgrades to 160 bhp and a spiffy new BMC air filter.

But wait! There's more! We will also throw in drilled and ventilated brakes in front and rear so you can stop on a Jew...er, dime. We also put 17-inch rims on it so you can confidently travel the rutted streets of the gulag. A TPMS is also thrown in to warn you of problems after you drive over the broken glass of that watchmaker's shop.

But wait! There's more! We deliver it in a hand-crafted wooden crate which can be recycled into wood for your crematorium.

So act now while supplies last!
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acarr260
02/17/09

@engineerd is going into Murilee withdrawal: It's made in Germany, so you know it's good!
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Ruthless, If you let me
02/17/09

@acarr260: Just like ShamWow! Beware of imitators.
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IN THE FACE!
02/17/09

@BullLifter: You're gonna love my nuts!
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If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
I could go for an Italian job.

Oh, wait. That's a movie, not a babe, a car or some magical combination of the two. Screw you guys, I'm going home.
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Jo Schmo
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
So whats the street price for an "italian job?"
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layabout
02/17/09

@Jo Schmo: £13,800 in the U.K. so that's $19,660 (ish)
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layabout
02/17/09

In reply to Fiat 500 Abarth SS Gives Mini Cooper S Italian Job
This cars is a bit old news in Euroland. I know people think these cars are relly cool,prepare to be letdown when you see them in real life,they're a fair bit smaller than a Mini & for the money there are better cars out there. My gf looked at one not so long back & i don't fit in them,at 6'3" i'm no giant so i'd say this one's for women & boys.
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HDC
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power: I'm a woman. Will take it happily. And as far as better cars, please name a few we can get stateside.
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layabout
02/17/09

@HDC: Cooper S or even better Cooper JCW,get one secondhand it's a better car,it wont depreciate badly & adults can fit in the back. The Fiat will just drop value & breakdown more.
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IH_kumicho
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power: So since you've got such an accurate crystal ball, how about picking stocks for me as well? The MINI is good, and is pretty much the only turbo'd super-mini we can get here in the states. This is 400lbs lighter than the Cooper S, and packs almost as much hp. And while the JCW is good, it's also almost $30k. By how they're priced in the UK, this should run about $22-23k over here.
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layabout
02/17/09

@IH_kumicho: Maybe you should wind your neck in with the sarcasm,have you driven an Abarth? Well i have the base Abarth starts at around £13,600 ($19,660 ish) the SS closer to £15,000 ($21,400). I also assume you missed my earlier point about a USED Cooper S or JCW being better value than the Fiat. I found the Fiat less enjoying to drive & a little bouncey compared to the Mini,the Mini also wins on fit & finish & retaining its value. I'd even say the Twingo Turbo is superior to the Fiat.
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c0de
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power: WAIT, THERE'S A TWINGO TURBO !?
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layabout
02/17/09

@c0de: Oh yeah...

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IH_kumicho
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power:

So the SS is the same price as a Cooper S, while weighing 400lbs less and offering almost the same hp? Sounds good to me.

I haven't driven it, so can't comment on the "bouncy" aspect, but have you driven the 500 SS or just the normal 500 Abarth? I'd guess that the additional improvements of the SS are lower and stiffer springs...

I just don't see how you can make claims about reliability (on a new product from a brand that has above reliability in the UK) and depreciation (for a brand that hasn't sold here in years) without it seeming a bit... magic 8-ball'ish.
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layabout
02/17/09

@IH_kumicho: Where did you get the reliable part from,Fiat are always near the bottom of the table,the 500 SS is based on a Panda with a Punto engine... This is last years J D Power table...

Still think it's reliable? ;) Oh & look where Mini is on the chart.
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Schm, enjoying his first desert winter. .
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power: Unreliability builds character. Where would that Italian charm be if everything actually worked?
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IH_kumicho
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power:

[www.reliabilityindex.co.uk]

Not as reliable as MINI, but not at the bottom of the pack by any means (above Volvo, Mercedes, Saab, Audi).

And the Panda is 2nd in its class according to JD Power's customer satisfaction poll:

[www.whatcar.com]

I'm not saying it definitively *is* reliable, I'm just saying that to assume that it's NOT going to be is a little presumptuous.
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layabout
02/17/09

@IH_kumicho: I'd believe the JD Power chart more than the link you provided, purely as JD Power is the more respected in the industry. Also i work in the motortrade in the U.K. & have done for some time in various fields,so can give you a professional opinon. The Panda came in at 42 on the list,a fine place for Fiat but the Punto which shares the engine with the 500 came in at 96 out of 100 cars. So i'd say it's a safe bet that it will have issues. This is all pointless as the SS won't be on sale in the U.S. anyway the U.K. will only get 200 as they are limited edition cars.

I don't dislike them myself,i can just think of cars i'd rather have taking the facts into account. If you get your hands on one i'm sure you'll enjoy it.
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IH_kumicho
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power: Shrug, will see. If it is available in the US I'll certainly be cross-shopping it with the MINI and making my mind up then. It's just great to see turbo super-mini's available here in the US...
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Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power: Maybe we could trade a few ZR-1s for a few of these...
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layabout
02/17/09

@IH_kumicho: Very true,i hope you get the performance Fiesta & Clio if you like fun pocket rockets. None will disappoint you,the only reason the Fiats bug me a little is the price of parts compared to say a Ford or a Honda.
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layabout
02/17/09

@Van Sarockin: Deal......quick.....shake on it!
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The Black Bottle
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power: Sorry man but your post smacks more than a little of waving the old Union Jack. Your 6' 3", my brother's the same height and I'm 6', fact: I'd also hazard a guess that we're both broader than you. Both the 500 AND the Mini are really only two seaters when people of our build and stature get into them. Both are retro models but the FIAT is closer to the original design and well screwed together, the Mini is more the girly/hairdresser car of the two when you compare the Cooper S et al against the Abarth SS and its so good it got its ass kicked by a 1.9TDi (Skoda Fabia vRS). I've driven both and preferred the latter - the SS I haven't driven YET but the finish on the 1.4 16v Sport was far better than any Mini I have driven or sat in. I felt like an arse in a Mini but a hell of a lot more confident in the 500.
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layabout
02/17/09

@The Black Bottle: Must ask what makes you think you'd be broader? I'm just over 15 stone from weight training,which i still do & boxing when i was younger. So i'd say i'm of a large build,same weight/height as Evander Holyfield. As for the cars you mention the Mini Cooper S beats them all,the Skoda is quicker than a standard Cooper but not the S,both would leave the VRS behind in the twisty stuff. The Fiat would be my last choice,it's too cute & fashionable looking & doesn't give true Abarth performance in my view & looks very girly.
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IN THE FACE!
02/17/09

@The Black Bottle: So if the mini is the "...girly/hairdresser car.." does that make the 500 a tampon case?

As much as I like the 500 a girlier car I have not seen (outside of China, also excluding the Miata and Focus).

*runs*
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IN THE FACE! was starred IN THE FACE! was unstarred

layabout
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power: Must add i wouldn't buy any of them for myself,but i also use my girlfriends car from time to time so wouldn't complain if she bought the Mini or Skoda. My next car will be a TVR Chimaera if all goes to plan.
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The Black Bottle
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power: @bpapa9013: Layabout - you're a lightweight, don't be offended - be thankful. I'm more than a tad heavier than you I'm ashamed to say! Both my brother and I played rugby and did the workout thing, although he's back into it and weighs about 16st I've put on a bit (say no more) more. We both fit comfortably into the front of a 500 but the Mini just didn't feel as spacious, you want to have seen us in a Cinquecento, ay, ay, ay. As for bpapa: you should speak to your guidance teacher about feminine hygiene. What size of woman have you been hanging around with? Or, more to the point hanging out of: if she uses a tampon this size?! The standard 500 is a bit girly but the Abarth and the SS just exude a quiet confidence and images of good times as opposed to the Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan lifestyle the Mini speaks to.
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layabout
02/17/09

@The Black Bottle: Haha,glad you didn't take that the wrong way. I was starting a dick swinging contest,haha. Well like all cars some we'll agree on some we won't. It'd be shit if we all liked the same.
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superveloce
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power: You sound like a tall, boring and bitter man that has no idea on how to have fun and just loves poo-pooing anything that is (fun). I'll take two, personally...
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layabout
02/17/09

@superveloce: Take two & use them as rolerskates. Cheers for the comment shorty ;)

@The Black Bottle: You watch Oz & James? Great shows,now i'm confused,are you U.K. or U.S. based?
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The Black Bottle
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power: UK: I watch Gloucester RUFC when I can but don't live in the County.
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layabout
02/17/09

@The Black Bottle: Ah,so you know Gloucester,one of my neighbours is a physio for Gloucester & he's given me & my girlfriend free tickets to games on a couple of occasions,great vibe at Kingsholm.
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The Black Bottle
02/17/09

@HDC: @c0de: Just wait until Chrysler bring this, the rest of the FIAT range AND Alfa Romeo Stateside - won't you be pleased?! Keep your fingers crossed Chryslererebus don't go down the plug first tho'.
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layabout
02/17/09

@The Black Bottle: I think the 500 SS is for Europe only,the U.K. is only getting 200

... [search.autotrader.co.uk]
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The Black Bottle
02/17/09

@layabout now with V8 power: Shame really, ah well... Bed time. Night all.
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layabout
02/17/09

@The Black Bottle: Until tomorrow :)
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